A KIND OF MAGIC ↝ Killian Jones

⇒ CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  WHEN MORNING AROSE, so did Wilma, although quite reluctantly — merely the thought of leaving Killian's strong arms despite spending the previous nine hours huddled in his hold was painful, but she did so nonetheless, driven by the desire to take a refreshing shower. The previous day had been quite dramatic, and she wished to wash away the worries she was ready to leave behind, therefore, whilst Killian was still soundly asleep, the woman undressed herself and tiptoed underneath the shower to cleanse herself.

  Beneath the steaming water, she got to relax and think. Her muscles lost their uneasy rigidity, her mind felt more calm and quiet, and her lips curved upwards into a careful smile as she hummed Fat Bottomed Girls and let the minutes pass by. She almost fell asleep again, but not quite — however, the deep concentration and peace she found herself in led her to another vision that she was yet to gain control over.

  The smile on her lips disappeared into thin air, but in the sight that painted over her chocolate eyes, she was quite the opposite. In the vision, Wilma was happy, giggling and smiling and her arms were wrapped around a body, one that she couldn't recognize. But when she spoke up, things were more clear than ever. "I missed you, Neal", was her simple whisper, her tone just dripping with bliss and joy of being reunited with someone so special and dear to her. And when she let go of the man and looked at him, she came face to face with, indeed, Neal, smiling not only with his lips but with his eyes, too, just like he always did. It was her Neal, quite alive.

  The prediction came to an end eventually, and instead of the arms of her brother, Wilma was back in the shower, on the rather slippery floor. Shocked by the unexpected sight, Wilma's feet slipped and she lost her balance, nearly collapsing onto the floor but somehow she managed to stand, but the sound of what could have been quite painful alerted Killian. It didn't take long, when the door was already yanked open, and squealing, Wilma grabbed the shower curtain to cover her very naked body, and surprised by the sight, Killian's eyes widened — and for a moment, he seemed flustered. But then, as expected, his open mouth closed and his pink lips ended up curving into a mischievous smile, which he directed at a rather embarrassed Wilma.

  "I'm fine!", Wilma yelled before Killian could even ask if everything was okay, and with that, she yanked on the curtain to hide her figure — leaving Killian with only his wildly running imagination — and the pirate exited the bathroom to grant the woman her privacy.

  But even if things had almost gotten very awkward between her and Killian, there was only one thing on Wilhelmina's mind. She had predicted that Neal was alive, and would return to them eventually, and even if she was still a bit unsure about her seer abilities, she had the utmost faith in that she was going to see her brother again.

———

  TODAY'S SCHEDULE INCLUDED going back to Gold's shop to spend more time with Belle, but also to protect the bookworm, in case the Wicked Witch planned on making an appearance. On top of that, some research needed to be done, in order to figure out how exactly Rumplestiltskin was still alive, and if there was any way to defeat the witch terrorizing their town. And as soon as Killian signed up for staying in the shop to help Belle — which was surprising, but quite sweet — Wilma agreed to stay as well, insisting that she could do some research of her own on the side and spend time with the two in the process.

  "What research do you have to do?", Snow asked curiously, knitting her eyebrows together as she eyed Wilma, whose eyes widened at the realization that she was yet to reveal her abilities to them. She hadn't told most people, but perhaps it was time the truth came out.

  "Well, I can— um, I can see the future", Wilma shrugged, and flashed an innocent smile at her friends, who all looked at her with wide eyes as if questioning how serious she was being, but concluding from the lack of amusement on her soft features, it was nowhere near a joke. And once they realized this, David leaped closer, pulling her best friend into a tight hug, and instinctively, Wilma wrapped her arms around his muscular body and buried her face into his chest, smelling his leather jacket as she did.